This is the day that the LORD
has made; let us rejoice and be
glad in it. (Psalm 118:24, ESV)
Instead of continuing to fret over circumstances I have no control over, prayers that remain unanswered even though I don't understand the reason why, and the worrisome "what ifs" that were filling my mind, I finally decided to follow Jesus' exhortation to stay focused on the present.
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own. (Matthew 6:34, BSB)
Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? So if you cannot do such a small thing, why do you worry about the rest? (Luke 17:25-26, BSB)
Our brains can only focus on one thing at a time, and I have intentionally been training mine to stay focused on the present moment and what is within my power to do right now, and trust in God's plan and His timing for the rest instead of second-guessing His intentions and trying to help Him when things don't seem to be progressing the way I anticipated they should or would.
The truth is (and this is not my original thought) that yesterday is gone and we are not promised tomorrow. Today is all we have. It is a gift from God, which is why it is called the present.
So many things we worry about never come to pass, and while we are busy worrying about them, we miss the blessings and opportunities right under our nose. I wonder if that's where the idiom "Take time to smell the roses," comes from.